The 2017 Super Bowl means many things including lots of unhealthy food, new commercials, and, of course, new gambling and prediction odds for the 2018 season. With the 2018 season still to be prefaced by the 2017 NFL draft and free agency period which can greatly swing the coming season, all current predictions are too early but fun. Here are some potential teams who can make their way into the 2018 Super Bowl and who are the Las Vegas favorites for 2018.

New England Patriots

The smart money never bets against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Brady is too good a player and too competitive to underrate and he has show in 2016 that he is far from washed up. Look for the Patriots to benefit from a full year of Brady and to retool the team with some new offensive weapons in the 2017 draft to add to Gronk and Brady. The Patriots defense will continue to be stout with few free agents and the leagues stingiest defense in 2016. Don’t count out the Patriots in 2017.

New York Giants

The New York Giants were a surprise entry into the playoffs in 2016, after an abysmal few years beforehand. While the Giants surprised many 2017 predictions, their 2016 free agent pickups of Cornerback Janoris Jenkins and defensive end Oliver Vernon had standout seasons. If the Giants can retain defensive linemen Hankins and Pierre-Paul, the Giants will be able to return the same defense that dominated in 2016. Their offensive line caused many woes for the team in 2016, but a few additions in free agency or the draft as well as a further maturing of the unit can give Eli Manning and Odell Beckham more time to push this unit from being a liability to a strength in 2018. Over thirty million in cap room can turn this into a reality.

Atlanta Falcons

While the Falcons defense remains a liability, Matt Ryan showed that he is ready to emerge as a legitimate NFL MVP candidate. Julio Jones showcased why he was worth the massive trade up that the Falcons dished to the Cleveland Browns (who squandered those picks), and the Falcons have the leagues most dynamic offensive unit. In the error of passing that the NFL is now in, it may be that offense wins championships, so expect the Falcons to have a good chance to emerge in 2018 in a return trip to the Super Bowl.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys continued their postseason woes in 2017 and have not won a playoff game in a dozen years. Still the 2016 season showed that they are a young team that can return to the success they had with standout rookie offensive players like quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott. Their offensive line unit is the real star of the team and spell continuity and future success for the team. If the Cowboys can convert ex QB Tony Romo into a defensive star player then expect the team to emerge as a 2018 Super Bowl favorite.

Denver Broncos

After winning the 2016 Super Bowl the Broncos failed to make the playoffs in 2017 due to quarterback woes after Peyton Manning retired. While Manning was washed up anyway, the Broncos have a phenomenal defense without even a pedestrian quarterback to support the team. Expect General Manager John Elway to spend all offseason to try to correct that possibly with current Cowboy Tony Romo or Redskin QB Kirk Cousins, who may be available if the Redskins don’t make a suitable offer or tag him. While Cousins may not be a classic franchise QB, he may be all the team needs to make the Super Bowl behind an already dominate defense.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers went on a late run in 2017 and knocked the Giants and Cowboys out of the playoffs, until they lost to the eventual NFC Champiom Atlanta Falcons. This run came as QB Aaron Rodgers for healthy and showed why he is the best Quarterback in the league. The Packers were an inherently flawed team on defense, after their two starting cornerbacks went down to injury, and they lost Jordy Nelson to injury in the playoff game against the Giants. If the Packers can add some pieces on defense to compliment Rodgers and their dynamic offensive unit, when healthy, they may be the 2018 Super Bowl favorite.

As noted above, there are too many factors that can still swing the 2018 Super Bowl to make accurate predictions yet, notably free agency, the draft, and any injuries. Many have observed that fifty percent of the NFL playoff teams turnover every year and with NFL parity one never knows who will be competitive from one year to the next. Like the Broncos and Carolina Panthers the likely favorites and Super Bowl participants may not even make the playoffs the very next year. However the aforementioned teams seem likely at this point to emerge as 2018 Super Bowl favorites and should be on the short list of anyone looking to make accurate predictions for the coming season.

The 2016 season for the San Francisco 49ers will be the ultimate test. They will be coming off a horrendous season, which the entire organization would like to forget, one that cost Coach Jim Tomsula his job. Quarterback Colin Kaepaenick looked like he had never played a single day in the NFL in his life. It was a totally forgettable season in which they struggled at all aspects of the game.

With the offseason hiring of new Coach Chip Kelly, the 49ers are looking to turn things around in 2016. I am going to make predictions on how they will fare in the upcoming season. Vegas says they win 5.5 games and have the second worst odds of winning the Super Bowl. So, he has a tall task ahead of him.

The schedule Gods were not on their side. They do open at home against the Rams. The excitement of opening day, with a new coach will propel them to a victory.

The next two games are away against powerhouses Carolina and Seattle, those will be losses, another loss will follow against Dallas. Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, Tony Romo? Need I say more? Carolina will play with a chip on their shoulders all season after their Super Bowl loss, and destroy everyone in their path. If the Seahawks play the way they are capable of, they will win a ton of games. Dallas is just Dallas, unpredictable and dangerous.

Game five will be another loss against Carson Palmer, Bruce Arians and the Cardinals. Their offense will dominate.

Next up are Buffalo and Tampa Bay, I’m predicting a win against Buffalo and a loss against Sophomore QB Jameis Winston.

They will go into the bye and try to prepare for what’s coming. New Orelans, Arizona, and New England. These will all be losses. The only close game will be against the inconsistent Saints. Drew Brees will throw for 600 yards and have 4 fourth quarter touchdowns. Arizona will again dominate them with their offense and Tom Brady will blow them out of the water.

They will go to the sun and sand of Miami and get a win. The Dolphins will also be repeating another horrible season. Good Jay Cutler will show up in Chicago in week thirteen, and they will lose to the Bears on the road. They will return home and play the Jets, another loss. The Jets are good and will keep getting better.

They will win against Atlanta, the Falcons will continue on their downward spiral. Week sixteen will be another win against the Rams. The close out the season against Seattle, another loss. They will finish the 2016 campaign 5-11. The difficult schedule will get the best of them.

For them to have any success, other teams will have to falter. Colin Kaepernick will have to bounce back from the worst season of his career. With a little luck and a miracle here and there, they may rack up a few more wins. 2016 will be an uphill battle, most likely one too difficult to win. Faithful and die hard fans and the tradition will remain. Maybe it’s a rebuilding year? Maybe free agency pays off? Time will tell.

The San Francisco 49ers were one of the greatest football teams ever. Their greatest years were coached by the late great Bill Walsh. Some of the most influential and most recognizable names in the game of football are from the 49ers and they reside in immortality in the National Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Here I will present the greatest 49er players of all-time.

1. Jerry Rice

This was a close one when you think Joe Montana should be there. But, Rice was not only the greatest 49er ever to play on the team, he could be the best player to ever play the wide receiver position and maybe the best to play the game, period. He played alongside Joe Montana and Steve Young, and he holds football records that more than likely will never be broken by anyone. He is in the NFL Hall of Fame and is one of the greatest ambassadors of the game.

2. Joe Montana

The greatest quarterback ever to play the game. Some would argue that Tom Brady or Terry Bradshaw could be since they too won four Super Bowls, but Joe went four times and won all four. He is the greatest 49er quarterback ever, and fans all over the country make the case to be the greatest quarterback ever to play in the NFL.

3. Ronnie Lott

One of the toughest and hardest hitting defensive football players I have ever seen. His hits on offensive players could be heard in the stands. He was one of the most feared defensive players ever to hit the field. Lott started out on defense as a cornerback for a few years and then moved to safety. Legendary player.

4. Steve Young

The second best 49er quarterback behind Joe Montana. He started his career in Tampa Bay and then went to San Francisco where his career blossomed after the departure of Montana. He himself went to the Super Bowl and won, but he was always in the shadow of #16. A very athletic quarterback, but his career was cut a little short due to the number of concussions he endured.

5. Roger Craig

Roger Craig won three Super Bowls while with the 49ers. How is it he is not in the Hall of Fame? He was a fast and bruising running back whose was famous for his high knee running. He could not only run around a defender he could run through them as well. Probably the greatest running never to get into the hallowed halls of Canton.

The three best quarterbacks in the history of the franchise are fairly obvious, but they all are on this list for different reasons. Joe Montana is here because he is arguably the best ever simply because of how clutch he was. Steve Young is on this list because he followed a legend beautifully. Finally, YA Tittle is on this list because he was with the team when they were struggling, but he brought his hall of fame grit to a team that desperately needed.

Joe Montana is roundly considered to be one of the best ever because he won four Super Bowls, threw one of the most iconic passes in history and made sure that he was going to do all that he could to make the team better. He was the MVP of three Super Bowls, and he is still one of the coolest people in the history of the game. People call him Cool Joe to this day even though he can’t run or do much, and he is in one of the best passing duos with Jerry Rice. The two of them together changed the way we pass the ball to this day.

Steve Young made it onto this list because he sat behind Joe Montana for a long time before he had his chance. He followed the best QB in the history of the game and won his own title. He created a hall of fame career for himself after practically failing in the USFL and with the Bucs. He changed his career by being a member of a team that needed a solid backup. He turned that into a starting job that he used to be one of the best passing duos with Jerry Rice. He was so good that he actually surpassed the numbers Joe Montana had with Rice.

YA Tittle is on this list because he deserves to be recognized more than he was in the past. He was a brilliant player who made his name with other teams, but he came to the 49ers because they needed somebody. He did not become a hall of famer with the team, but he was very important for the team. He brought some credibility to the team that allowed them to draft Joe Montana without him running away. That was something that made the team better for the future, and every fan should be happy to say thank you to his family.

These three men made the 49ers one of the best franchises in all of professional sports. Without them, it would not be even remotely the same.

Okay, listen up guys. This content is for all you sports junkies. We are about to take a look at the top teams in the league, or at least from the opinion of the 49ers. Many of of the top options played from 1983 to 1998. This list will only contain teams that had what it took to win at least 10 games per season.

This list might even include one of your favorites. So, put down the phone guys for ten seconds and listen up.

1)The team from 1987. This is going to be somewhat controversial for some of you. The strike season for this year alone landed them in one of the top spots. This also marked the beginning of the Joe vs Steve debate. When they switched out Young for Montana (again) halfway through, this caused quite a stir for everyone, including the team. Had it not been for this, 1987 might not have landed on the list. Is it the only reason? No. It was however a contributing factor.

2)The year 2011. It is on the list right now. I guess because it’s still so fresh in everyone’s mind. If you give it another ten years, I am sure it’s going to fall into oblivion. This season was not particularly refreshing or important, in any way, shape or form. They came in with a good 13-3 win total. That’s got to count for something.

3)The year was 1990. This was much like our 2001 year. It had an overall feeling of “what if” that was left on everyone involved. Why did it land a spot on the list, especially if there was nothing that great about it? Craig was the one who had all those fumbles against the Giants. Jerry Rice and the defense was what made this year special, in a nut shell.

4)The year was 1992. The record was 14-2. The only thing worth mentioning with this is Jerry Rice and the offense. They all played true to form and better than others had in the past.

5)We are now in year 2012. Frank Gore and Aldon Smith were two of the main reasons this year gets credited for this list. The defense was not as dominant. The offense more than made up for it though.

6)The year is 1988. This year’s team had a few things working for them. Number one, they had just won the Lombardi Trophy. The other thing was the playoff they managed to pull off, especially from past teams who tormented them.

7) In 1981 they drafted thee main people for starters. Ronnie Lott was one of them. Montana got them to the Super Bowl. He topped the Bengals 26-21. At the halftime they were only leading by 20. What he did with this alone was impressive.

8)1994 got the win of 13-3. Two people stuck out this year. They were Jerry Rice and Ricky Watters. Brent Jones also got the tag as one of the best “tight ends” in the league.

9) In 1984 only one thing needs to be said. The 49ers won 3 playoff games. Some other things happened during this year, but this even is the most noteworthy and impressive feat.

10) 1989 is the final year of mention on this list, but many people think it’s the best in team history. Joe Montana and Brent Jones were the two main players at the height of their skill level. The sixth-leading receiver caught about 9 passes. The Fourth-leading rushers got about 129 yards down. Steve Young had held the prior spot, with about 126 yards down. You can see how this extra 3 yards makes the list.